Suzanne De Serres joins the Launch Party as co-host!

Artist, musician and author, Suzanne De Serres will be joining Scott Falconbridge on stage to co-host the Party!

The Devil's Hill Community is extremely pleased to have the gracious support of these two talented entertainers.

Andy Riga's Montreal Blog Wed. Nov. 24, 2010

the montreal west - ville st. pierre battle

The Geography of the Devil's Hill Barricade

CKUT Interview

CKUT Interview.mp3

More Mumbo-Jumbo from Mo' West Mayor Masella

Dear Editor:

Many people reading the October issue of The Informer are under the false impression that the fire department (SIM) and police department (SPVM) approved the traffic barrier that Montreal West constructed on Broughton Rd in early October. As confirmed by Mayor Masella at the October 25 council meeting, this is completely false.

Sylvain Arteau, division chief at the Montreal fire department explained to the Lachine council meeting on October 18 that his department recommended against the barrier for the following reasons:

1) the increased response time attending to emergencies in the Hillcrest/Mount Vernon and Rosewood area;

2) potential damage to emergency vehicles;

3) potential injuries to fire fighters driving over the sidewalk / barricade; and

4) security concerns for Hillcrest/Mont Vernon/Rosewood residents whose neighbourhood is now enclosed in an area having only one exit (a 13% hill), which may be closed for any reason (ice, traffic accident, evacuation).

The explanation as to why Montreal West was able to build the barrier over the protestations of the fire and police departments is that these departments sadly have no power of enforcement over municipalities concerning such recommendations. And I find it scandalous that this town council shows so little concern for the safety its close neighbours in Lachine.

Yours truly,

John Symon

111 Rosewood

A transcription of Mayor Masella's comments at the Council meeting are here:

Please refer to page 18 and continue through source.

THE INFORMER

CIMA Traffic Study Summary

This is a summary of the traffic study that was done by CIMA; a study that the Pro-Barricade faction has been misquoting or ignoring since the day it was published. In an effort to be as transparent as possible the full study will be made available on this blog if there is enough demand for it.

More Truthiness from Montreal West

Oct 29, 2010 - Letter to the Editor, Montreal Gazette

Nothing to do with class and elitism

Re: “ Lachine residents hope to sing down barrier” (Gazette, Oct. 25).

That’s a catchy headline. How about this one? “ Montreal West families rest easy on safer streets”. Not so catchy, eh? But true enough. Pat Schmidt and her followers can sing about being wronged and wrap themselves a warm, fuzzy blanket of protest with singing children. But none of that changes the truth here. And it has nothing to do with class, or emergency-vehicle safety, or elitism. It does have to do with the Montreal West residents who live on streets near Devil’s Hill area being able to live safely without having trucks and commuters cutting through their neighbourhood. This issue has been examined carefully over the years and it’s clear there was way too much truck traffic on these small streets and way too many cars using them as a shortcut to Highway 20.

As a Montreal Wester who lives north of the train tracks, I admit that for many years I used to cut through that neighbourhood to get to the 20, but since the road was closed, I have found other ways of reaching the highway, and as far as I can tell, they’re not more than a few seconds longer.

Montreal West did a consultation with all of the emergency services and it was deemed acceptable to create the raised sidewalk arrangement that we have now to deter casual traffic through this area.

Randi Weitzner

Our response...

A Letter to the Editor

Ashamed

THE GAZETTE NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Re. "Nothing to do with class and elitism" (Letters, Oct. 29).

As a lifelong Montreal West resident who has lived for the last 32 years beside Devil's Hill and has raised three children here, I am shocked by the town's decision that this area is unsafe without a barrier. There has always been some traffic on the hill during rush-hours, but nothing undue; and most of the time the streets have been so quiet that I could have set a proper table for 12 right in the middle of Easton Ave. without interruption.

I don't accept the presumption that a family cat should be able to sleep safely on Easton or that our children should be able to play road hockey at any time of day unimpeded. I don't accept that people buy a house on a long-standing thoroughfare and then insist on blocking it.

Whether or not the issue is one of class or elitism, the barrier certainly reflects an attitude of entitlement. And it certainly shows an insouciance to the safety of our neighbours.

I am embarrassed to belong to the Montreal West side of the barrier, to be associated with someone who said, "At least we let [them] walk on our sidewalks."

Barbara Baily Montreal West

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